Deceleration

Can you afford the luxury of not engaging in this much needed habit?

While this is a relatively new term, the folks at Royal Holloway, University of London, are describing this act of “slowing down, as the new status symbol”. Increasingly, those on the other side of collapse and burnout are engaging in more “slower” activities - slow food, slow cities, slow travel. The research emerging points to people being able to take better informed life and commercial decisions, when they allow themselves time off the incessant treadmill of busy-ness.

And many organisations are taking note. Increasingly, the data is pointing towards healthier morale, work placed relationships and bottom lines, for organisations that have shorter working weeks, insist on Staff taking lunch - away from their desks - and who overtly put an emphasis on wellness and nurturing in their culture.

So what can you do? Some tips include:

- Prioritise slower meetings rather than the over use of email

- Get comfortable with doing nothing

- Learn to build in pauses between activities

- Get out in nature more

- Spend time with like-minded people

- Check in with yourself daily. How are the stress levels?

After all you don’t want to be reading this on the other side of a burnout episode. The time is now to be proactive. Take a break. Embrace DECELERATION for 2019.